‘I have come up with a ten point plant highlighting the areas that we shall prioritise going forward. These include streamlining the boards of State corporations in tourism, hastening the implementation of the Tourism Act and setting up a tourism market recovery programme to recover Kenya’s lost market share in tourism. The national tourism strategy is at the moment being crafted and will be in place in the next few months’ was Mrs. Phyllis Kandie, the new Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, previously known as Minister, quoted to have told a meeting of tourism stakeholders, who were anxious to hear what government had in store to revive the flagging fortunes of the country’s tourism sector. Former tourism minister Mwazo, now openly described as the worst in Kenya’s history, had like a bull in a china shop caused havoc and left the sector’s political administration in the proverbial tatters, before making his escape to a senatorial seat in the last elections.

Of key interest for the sector were, as recently mentioned in a related development, infrastructure developments like the completion of a road between Narok and the Masai Mara Game Reserve, the bypass from the Nairobi – Mombasa highway and the Moi International Airport to the south coast and, as one source put it: ‘… to get us the funding KTB needs to run a recovery marketing campaign across the world. Last year Mwazo just make empty promises on which he failed to deliver and you see where we now are. The man was just incompetent and good riddance is all I can say. If he had delivered on his promises to get tourism the funding required we would be better off and now we have to clean out after him. Well, the new boss in tourism has shown she got the message and we will now wait and see how she delivers on her 10 point plan’.

Keenly awaited now are the upcoming announcements on who will chair the boards of several new parastatals which were created under the tourism act, although there are already whispers emerging from within key stakeholders that perhaps the formation of a single tourism authority would serve the sector better than a fragmented regime of several bodies, which could well lead to sectoral infighting over turf claims instead of all pulling into one direction. ‘The creation of many parastatals was a result of the grand coalition of the last government needing to create a lot of jobs for cronies. Now that we have a single government again, maybe we should revisit some of those issues and seek a better way forward. Tourism authorities are working well in other countries like Zimbabwe, and from what I know Tanzania is looking at creating one too. Right now we have a situation of many chiefs. The recurrent expenditure will be high and eat into the marketing budget. It is something we need to improve upon’ added the same source, setting the scenario for what will be an interesting year ahead for Kenya’s tourism industry. Watch this space for regular updates on what’s on in tourism from across the region.

Cheli & Peacock, one of Kenya’s foremost safari and safari camp operators, has just announced the appointment of Antonia Glen and Bilal Yusuf as Directors of International Sales and Finance respectively.

Effective immediately they will join the board where they will serve alongside company owners Stefano and Liz Cheli. Bilal, who joined the company in 1999 as Chief Accountant rose through the ranks before recently being promoted as Director for Finance while Antonia, who also joined the company in 1999, equally rose through the ranks to attain the position of Director International Sales.

Stefano was quoted in a media release just received here as having commented: ‘Both Bilal and Antonia have been with the company for many years and their promotions reflect their enduring hard work, professional aptitude, loyalty and ongoing contribution to the firm. Liz and I are thrilled to welcome them both to the Board of Directors and, along with the rest of the team, we wish them many congratulations. As one of the leading and longest-established safari operators in the business, we are delighted that Cheli & Peacock grows from strength to strength. This is a very exciting time for us and we look forward to the coming years’.

Tourism trade personnel attending the leading trade fairs on a regular basis will no doubt have been acquainted with Antonia over the years, but for those not in the know, above is a preview of whom they will meet at the next tourism show.

In a related development it was also just learned that two of C&P’s collection of gems, Loisaba and the Elephant Pepper Camp, have once again received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2013, confirmation that the all important vote for quality by those who really matter, the clientele, has again opted to raise those two properties to the top of their class. Both properties have in the past gained international recognition through a number of awards given to them by travel trade media, The Good Safari Guide Awards and other internationally recognized organizations. Well done to the teams at both camps.

For more information on the locations of C&P’s stunning safari and beach properties, visit their website via info

The preliminary programme for this year’s main African aviation event, Routes Africa has recently been released.

Routes Africa 2013 is hosted by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and Entebbe International Airport and will Details on the programme line up are shown below and intending participants can contact Routes Online via www.routesonline.com/events/159/routes-africa-2013/ to sign up for an event which is expected to bring together record numbers of participants from African, European, Middle Eastern / Gulf, Asian and American airlines, airports, tourist boards and related organizations.

ROUTES AFRICA STRATEGY SUMMIT

DRAFT PROGRAMME

SUNDAY 7th JULY & MONDAY 8th JULY 2013

Day 1 – Sunday 7th July

Day 2 – Monday 8th July

Two of Uganda’s leading safari lodges, the Madhvani Group’s Chobe and Paraa Safari Lodges in Murchisons Falls National Park, have just received recognition as top rated properties by TripAdvisor the global industry leader in client based ratings of hotels, resorts, lodges, restaurants and other tourism attractions.

Both were presented with the coveted ‘Certificate of Excellence 2013’ which puts the two Marasa Africa managed properties into the top 10 percent of reviews given by visitors.

While Paraa is located in the lower part of the park, near the main ferry crossing of the River Nile, the Chobe Safari Lodge is set in the real wilderness of the upstream section of the Nile above the falls, and while just 12 kilometres off the main Kampala to Gulu highway, giving visitors a feeling to be as remote as they can be in the midst of a mature tropical rainforest with magnificent views over the white waters of the river.

More about the two lodges can be accessed through the respective websites but here below a brief overview of both properties, which incidentally were repeatedly reviewed here in the past.

Chobe Safari Lodge/Uganda

The more recently opened and very luxurious five-star Chobe Safari Lodge, located in a little-known section of Murchison Falls National Park, is becoming one of Uganda’s key tourist destinations for adventurers, anglers, and aficionados of river-scapes. It comprises 36 elegant guest rooms, 21 luxury tents, four suites and a Presidential Cottage. A state-of-the-art Conference block can host up to 100 guests and is fully equipped for business meetings.

The lodge enjoys breathtaking panoramic views of the River Nile, coupled with the sounds of its frothing rapids.

Paraa Safari Lodge

Paraa, also known as the “Jewel of the Nile,” is situated in Murchison Falls National Park, with spectacular views of the river. Each of the lodge’s 54 rooms, suites, three luxury safari tents and Queen’s Cottage is designed with an authentic Colonial African style. Each has its own spacious balcony and en-suite bath, all overlooking the River. The Queen’s Cottage, named after Queen Elizabeth II’s mother who stayed there in 1959, comprises two bedrooms, a lounge, and a large balcony, and is ideal for families or friends traveling together.

Amenities include a holistic massage center, a gym and a large free-form swimming pool just above the entertainment area by the rustic bar, where bonfires and traditional African entertainment take place in the evening twice weekly. There is also a Business Center with internet and a gift shop selling local crafts and safari essentials. The Nile River itself offers world class game fishing for Nile Perch near the lodge which rents fishing gear and binoculars. The lodge operates a regular launch service to travel comfortably upstream to the bottom of the falls, where the mighty Nile squeezes through a gap of only 7 metres wide and falls nearly 50 metres, before it then meanders towards Lake Albert. Chimpanzee trekking may be arranged at a forest some 37 miles from the Lodge on a day excursion trip.

Watch this space for regular updates from Uganda’s national parks, game reserves and other tourism attractions.

A group of Masai dancers, normally attached to the Bomas of Kenya, are presently in the Seychelles to perform at the archipelago’s annual Africa Festival, aka FetAfrik.

The Seychelles, a member of the African Union and geographically belonging to the African continent, has for some time now celebrated Africa Day with a dedicated festival and has increased the footprint of the celebrations to a three day festival to which year after year performing arts and dance groups are invited from the mainland. South Africa, already closely allied to the Seychelles in tourism and political terms, this year has sent a chef, a designer and artists to showcase African cuisine, fashion and arts during the festival.

The Seychelles has in recent years developed an annual calendar of events, some very high profile like the Carnaval de Carnivals – The Carnival International de Victoria, in which several African countries appeared in the past as co-hosts, like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar and from day on La Reunion, while others appeal to a special market like SUBIOS – The Festival of the Sea or the Festival of Assumption, celebrated in August every year on the island of La Digue. Sporting events like the Seychelles Regatta, sailed biannually, round up the picture.

For more information on the wide range of cultural and performing art events and festivals in the Seychelles visit www.seychelles.travel

The top leadership of Emirates, led by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Vice President of Dubai and Chairman and CEO of the Emirates Group and accompanied, among others by Mr. Tim Clark, President of Emirates and Mr. Marc Bennet, VP in charge of Emirates’ leisure division, is currently on the island of Mahe on a high profile working visit to meet Seychelles government officials and discuss their plans for a new resort complex. It is expected that they will also meet with President James Alix Michel and hold talk on matters of mutual interest and how to further increase economic and political cooperation.

The airline had in 2006 approached the Seychelles government with a proposal to build, what would have been the island’s largest resort complex, comprising 453 villas and luxury suites, a marina and water bungalows extending into the ocean. The outbreak of the global economic crisis however during late 2007 and lasting into 2009 saw the project put on halt for the time being, before the economic recovery and the rising demand for holidays in the Seychelles allowed for the project to be revived. Following intense discussions between the two parties, Emirates has now presented a revised concept of only 183 villas and suites, shelving plans to build water bungalows at the proposed site at Cap Ternay.

The two parties agreed, after meeting with four government ministers (Minister Pierre Laporte, Finance, Trade & Investment, Rolph Payet, Environment & Energy, Christian Lionnet, Land Use & Habitat and Alain St.Ange Tourism & Culture) and their key staff, that all relevant existing guidelines for the development of a new resort will be followed to the letter, and that, after the proposal has received approval by the cabinet, expected in due course, will be subject to the required assessment processes including an EIA to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

Sections of the Seychelles media had in recent weeks waged a campaign to stop all new developments on the archipelago, which would effectively also halt any future expansion of the tourism industry across the islands, without however acknowledging the crucial importance of new direct foreign investments in the sector, the added job creation – where in particular the efforts of the Seychelles Tourism Academy are exemplary to provide a skilled local workforce for hotels and resorts – and the additional foreign exchange earnings going along with new resorts.

The same sources have in the past also been part to accusing the island’s government of ‘greenwashing’ their credentials, allegations swiftly and comprehensively rejected by the relevant government ministries and agencies at the time and reported here in detail including an interview with Minister St. Ange.

‘This is a game of politics, nothing else. The people of the Seychelles know how important tourism is for our economy. Our young people need employment opportunities. Those who alleged that all jobs in new resorts will be taken by foreigners are not telling the truth. STA has been intensifying training of Seychellois to start a career in the hospitality industry. We are expanding STA to turn it into a world class training institution with capacity to train twice as many people compared to now. The resorts are not just cooperating but have fully embraced the concept of training up more of our own people to take over positions in their hotels. We are even creating managerial cadres through our cooperation with the Shannon College and other key institutions of higher learning abroad. STA has signed agreements with hotel schools in Shanghai, Muscat and Malta. Yes, there will eventually be a limit for more developments, but not just yet. New resorts means more jobs for our people, more opportunities to even start new businesses related to tourism. Those opposed have not said a word where they would find jobs for young Seychellois if not in the tourism sector. Seychelles has weathered the global economic crisis of 2008 and the Eurozone crisis much better than many other countries. This is a result of a concerted effort to improve the business climate and by finding new markets for our resorts. Success is evident here and while there are challenges, those are met head on. I think we are all aware that environmental protection is the key for our success as a tourism destination. Let me give you an example. When the Constance Ephelia was built, the same people cried that the mangrove forest would be destroyed by the project. You have been there several times and seen that instead, the mangrove forests have increased in size because now they get active protection from staff of the resort. More mangroves have been planted and this is continuing. It shows that it is possible to find a balance between environment and resorts. It is costly but this is factored into our hotel tariffs. There are always new challenges arising but I think we have the mechanism in the Seychelles to solve such issues. Any new resort, this one at Cap Ternay and the other one at Police Bay, or those on Praslin or other islands, will always be subject to a very stringent process of EIA. We have learned from past shortcomings and will continue to learn as we go along. Trying to stop developments without answering where the bread and butter for our people should then come from is futile’ wrote a regular source in a senior position in the tourism industry, requesting anonymity however for not wanting to be drawn into the current debate in sections of the Seychelles media.

Emirates, Dubai’s award winning airline, currently connects the Seychelles archipelago 12 times a week with the rest of the world and has become the leading foreign airline flying to Mahe. It is expected that eventually Emirates will come twice a day to Mahe, when demand justifies adding more frequencies. Cooperation between the Seychelles Tourism Board and Emirates has for long been intense and the two partners have forged a close union which saw both sides benefit from the global appeal the airline and the destination Seychelles enjoy. Visit www.seychelles.travel for more information about the destination and www.emirates.com for details on flights from an airport near you to Mahe.

There is disappointment among the marathon enthusiasts that the 5th edition of the Jinja Source of the Nile Marathon, which was due to be run this weekend, appears to have been postponed until May 2014, according to information posted on the marathon website. This year would have been the fifth edition of Uganda’s second international marathon, after the MTN Kampala Marathon every year in November, and while attracting lesser numbers has nevertheless grown to be the biggest sporting event in Jinja, aka The Adventure Capital of East Africa. The event has until now offered two main races, one over 10 KM and one over the half marathon distance of 21 KM, but from reliable sources it was learned that a full 42 KM marathon will be introduced for the race next year. No reasons were available for the cancellation of the race which has up to now been organized by Hared, a Ugandan fuel company.

Jinja has over the years embraced tourism, in particular adventure sports tourism, with a gusto and offers along the upper Nile valley, below the Source of the Nile and the two hydro electric dams, world class rafting, boating, bungee jumping, quad biking, cross country cycling, horseback riding as well as golfing and fishing. A range of lodges, resorts and hotels are available for all budgets, starting from backpacker accommodation to 5 star resorts along the river banks or even on islands in the middle of the roaring white waters of the world’s longest river. Visit www.nilemarathon.com for more details or look up Jinja’s attractions via www.visituganda.com

When the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department holds their annual Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony on Saturday, the 22nd June at Kinigi / outside the Volcano National Park, exactly a dozen newborn gorilla babies will be named this year. One of them was only born two days ago to the joy of the park staff and the conservation and tourism fraternity at large. It was Muganga of the Isabukuru group who has given birth to a baby of yet to be determined sex. Namers selected by RDB to perform the actual naming during the high profile ceremony are normally given a choice of two names, at times three, proposed by the rangers and wardens looking after the gorilla groups, and reflect often the circumstances of the birth, make reference to the location or reflect the mood of the group at the time.

Kwita Izina has over the years developed into a weeklong celebration, during which conferences and workshops dedicated to conservation take place, community projects benefiting the people living around the Volcano National Park are handed over, or launched and where sporting and society events are used to mark Rwanda’s unwavering commitment to looking after the gentle giants of the Virunga mountains.

Travelers from around the world are now regularly planning visits to Rwanda to coincide with the annual Festival of the Gorillas which is unique in the range countries where mountain gorillas are found. Visit www.rwandatourism.com for more information about the country’s tourism attractions, how to get there and how best to travel across the Land of a Thousand Hills.

Travellers using the Entebbe International Airport have for long been suffering the inconvenience of being made to walk long distances from the car park to the main terminal, often subjected to bucketing rain, as a result of the security apparatus gone bonkers over keeping vehicles away from the terminal. ‘Entebbe is the only airport in the region where you cannot drive up to the terminal and offload your passengers and baggage, or park even just opposite. Nairobi is the best example, and surely their threat levels are no different from ours because they are also in Somalia with troops. Kigali is another example, or Kilimanjaro, where you drive up, drop off and go for check in. It is sad to note that airlines and the CAA are subjected to dictates of this sort. It impacts on the departure experience of our visitors and many are very very upset about the arrangements security forces on us, especially when it rains and they come to the check in all soaked. The staircase to go upstairs to departures is not protected from rain and crossing the road with baggage and then often ending in a queue before they can enter the terminal is just not userfriendly at all. We have told them that so often but are basically told to shut up and that it is for security. Security is important but so is user friendliness. We compete with other destinations in the region and this is the worst experience a traveler can have at any of the big airports’ ranted a regular aviation source from Entebbe on strict demand of anonymity for fear of repercussions.

The Uganda CAA, as managers of the airport in Entebbe, are acutely aware of this problem and have, according to another source, repeatedly tried to get the access restrictions lifted, but to no avail.

It was now learned that as a result the CAA is putting up additional parking areas to address the shortage of parking caused by security declaring previous parking areas nearer the terminal off limits – again in stark contrast to what other airports in the region do – as well as adding more cover from the elements to protect travelers from the downside of the weather. Indoors will a team of consultants also redesign the flow of passengers from the entry gate security check to the check in terminals through immigration to the departure lounges, in what could be a major functionality upgrade as the number of passengers using Entebbe continues to grow by double digit figures.

The last major overhaul of the airport took place for the Commonwealth Summit in 2007 and while a grand masterplan for the expansion and redevelopment of the airport has been completed, much of it has not been implemented at this stage. The cargo area adjoining the passenger terminal for instance was due to be moved to a new, integrated cargo handling area at the ‘old airport’ side, to make way for an expansion of the passenger terminal, and while in Nairobi the construction of Terminal 4 is ongoing and Project Greenfield due to kick off later this year, Entebbe currently seems to stand still. Both Kigali and Addis Ababa are due to get new airports, while in Tanzania JNIA in Dar es Salaam will undergo a complete modernization now that funds have been secured from the Dutch government – which has also co-financed similar work at Kilimanjaro International Airport.

‘If we want to be a destination of choice, for safari holidays, adventure holidays and conferences, we need to invest in infrastructure. The traffic situation into Kampala is unbearable and Entebbe, once the queen of airports in the region, is now tired and comes across as almost dysfunctional. It is not userfriendly any more and the way security has taken over is totally different from any other airport in the region I have been to. The new Entebbe highway must be accelerated. A new access plan into and through the city must be put into place to stop those traffic jams. Look at Nairobi what they are doing there with new cross city highways, a commuter rail plan and bypasses. Have our planners and implementers slept while all these super highways were built in Nairobi? Tourism needs infrastructure to prosper and it is time to work on that now, because otherwise we might be left behind by our competitors in the region’ said a senior tourism stakeholder, when discussing the issues yesterday.

The announcement by the CAA was broadly welcomed by aviation and tourism sources even though no time frame for the completion of the changes was attached to the announcement. Watch this space for more information as and when available.

RwandAir has today announced the date of the inaugural flight celebration for their new route to Accra / Ghana as 15th of June. The airline already flies to Brazzaville, Libreville and Lagos and will shortly commence regular scheduled flights to Accra and Douala, bringing their West African destinations to five and 16 overall. Next in line will then be South Sudan’s capital city of Juba, but no date has yet been given when flights will be launched.

The Rwandan national airline has been expanding their network to key African destinations from where passengers can not only fly to Kigali but connect across the continent, and importantly daily to Dubai, with short transit times. After taking delivery a few months ago of two brand new CRJ 900NextGen, RwandAir more recently exchanged two leased B737-500 against two of the more advanced B737-700NG aircraft, which not only offer a significantly expanded range but also more seats and cargo capacity.

Last month did RwandAir place a firm order for a Bombardier Q400, which, when delivered later this year, will boost capacity on the domestic routes to Gisenyi and Cyangugu / Kamembe as well as to the nearer regional destinations like Bujumbura, Entebbe and Mwanza.

The airline is presently considering converting an option for a further two CRJ 900NG, likely for delivery in the second half of 2014, and also has two B787 Dreamliners on order, due for delivery around 2015/16.

The Rwandan government, which owns the airline, is supporting aviation development even more through the construction of a new airport in Bugesera, for which a main contractor has only recently been named after completion of the tender process. The new airport, construction for which is due to start later this year, is expected to be operational by around 2016/17, adding much needed capacity to the airlines presently already flying to Kigali. Kanombe International Airport, inspite of short term expansion measures like new lounge and check in areas, is progressively reaching capacity limits during peak arrival and departure times.

Expect live updates from the inaugural flight celebration, so watch this space.